If you have high blood pressure, you will have regular checkups with your provider.

Even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked during your regular check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had high blood pressure.

Call your provider right away if home monitoring shows that your blood pressure is still high.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to reduce your blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of health problems caused by high blood pressure. You and your provider should set a blood pressure goal for you.

Whenever thinking about the best treatment for high blood pressure, you and your provider must consider other factors such as:

Your age

The medicines you take

Your risk of side effects from possible medications

Other medical conditions you may have such as a history of heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, or diabetes

If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 130/80 mm Hg, you have elevated blood pressure.

Your provider will recommend lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down to a normal range.

Medicines are rarely used at this stage.

If your blood pressure is higher than 130/80 but lower than 140/90 mm Hg, you have Stage 1 high blood pressure. When thinking about the best treatment, you and your provider must consider:

If you have no other diseases or risk factors, your provider may recommend lifestyle changes and repeat the measurements after a few months.

If you have other diseases or risk factors, your provider may be more likely to start medicines at the same time as lifestyle changes.

If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mm Hg, you have Stage 2 high blood pressure. Your provider will most likely start you on medicines and recommend lifestyle changes.

Before making a final diagnosis of either elevated blood pressure or high blood pressure, your provider should ask you to have your blood pressure measured at home, at your pharmacy, or somewhere else besides their office or a hospital.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

You can do many things to help control your blood pressure, including:

Get at least 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise at least 3 to 4 days a week.

If you smoke, quit.

Limit how much alcohol you drink to 1 drink a day for women, and 2 a day for men or less.

Limit the amount of sodium (salt) you eat. Aim for less than 1,500 mg per day.

Reduce stress. Try to avoid things that cause you stress, and try meditation or yoga to de-stress.

Stay at a healthy body weight.

Your provider can help you find programs for losing weight, stopping smoking, and exercising.

You can also get a referral to a dietitian, who can help you plan a diet that is healthy for you.

How low your blood pressure should be and at what level you need to start treatment is individualized, based on your age and any medical problems you have.

MEDICINES FOR HYPERTENSION

Most of the time, your provider will try lifestyle changes first and check your blood pressure two or more times. Medicines will likely be started if your blood pressure readings remain at or above these levels:

Top number (systolic pressure) of 130 or more

Bottom number (diastolic pressure) of 80 or more

If you have diabetes, heart problems, or a history of a stroke, medicines may be started at lower blood pressure reading. The most commonly used blood pressure targets for people with these medical problems are below 120 to 130/80 mm Hg.

Your provider will measure your blood pressure many times before diagnosing you with high blood pressure. It is normal for your blood pressure to be different based on the time of day.

All adults over the age of 18 should have their blood pressure checked every year. More frequent measurement may be needed for those with a history of high blood pressure readings or those with risk factors for high blood pressure.

Blood pressure readings taken at home may be a better measure of your current blood pressure than those taken at your provider's office.

Make sure you get a good quality, well-fitting home blood pressure monitor. It should have a properly-sized cuff and a digital readout.

Practice with your provider to make sure you are taking your blood pressure correctly.

You should be relaxed and seated for several minutes prior to taking a reading.

Bring your home monitor to your appointments so your provider can make sure it is working correctly.

Your provider will do a physical exam to look for signs of heart disease, damage to the eyes, and other changes in your body.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.

Untreated high blood pressure can lead to many medical problems. These include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, eye problems, and other health issues.

Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers. The top number is called systolic blood pressure. The bottom number is called diastolic blood pressure. For example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mm Hg).

One or both of these numbers can be too high. (Note: These numbers apply to people who are not taking medicines for blood pressure and who are not ill.)

Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mm Hg most of the time.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is when one or both of your blood pressure readings are higher than 130/80 mm Hg most of the time.

If the top blood pressure number is between 120 and 130 mm Hg, and the bottom blood pressure number is less than 80 mm Hg, it is called elevated blood pressure.

If you have heart or kidney problems, or you had a stroke, your doctor may want your blood pressure to be even lower than that of people who do not have these conditions.

Causes

Many factors can affect blood pressure, including:

The amount of water and salt you have in your body

The condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels

Your hormone levels

You are more likely to be told your blood pressure is too high as you get older. This is because your blood vessels become stiffer as you age. When that happens, your blood pressure goes up. High blood pressure increases your chance of having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, or early death.

You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you:

Are African American

Are obese

Are often stressed or anxious

Drink too much alcohol (more than 1 drink per day for women and more than 2 drinks per day for men)

James PA, Oparil S, Carter BL, et al. 2014 evidence-based guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults: report from the panel members appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA. 2014;311(5):507-520. PMID: 24352797 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24352797.

Meschia JF, Bushnell C, Boden-Albala B, et al; American Heart Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology; Council on Hypertension.. Guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2014;45(12):3754-3832. PMID: 25355838 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25355838.

Weber MA, Schiffrin EL, White WB, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of hypertension in the community: a statement by the American Society of Hypertension and the International Society of Hypertension. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2014;16(1):14-26. PMID: 24341872 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24341872.

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